


And You Need to Stay Safe

by GettheSalt



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Gen, Hospital Visit, M/M, Post-Failed Experiments, Prompt Fill, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-26
Updated: 2016-07-26
Packaged: 2018-07-26 23:57:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7595326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GettheSalt/pseuds/GettheSalt
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Joey visits Mack in the med-bay after his run in with swayed Daisy. He's not willing to come back, but for Mack, he's maybe willing to stay.</p>
            </blockquote>





	And You Need to Stay Safe

**Author's Note:**

> A fill for a Tumblr prompt: "JoeyMack + "hey you’ve had a rough day so let’s get in our PJs and watch a cute movie together and cuddle bUT IT’S TOTALLY PLATONIC ALRIGHT"". In which I absolutely failed at the insisting-it's-platonic part, and I'm not sure I care.

“Hey.”

It hadn’t been often that he;d been able to have guests, since he’d been put in here. Everyone was busy, working around what Hive was doing, and trying to get Daisy back. It didn’t mean that he had been left entirely on his own. Coulson had visited a few times, and May. Fitz and Simmons had stopped in once, and Lincoln was a regular face. He’d been the one to do Mack the solid of getting him his own shirt from his room. The light pants that they’d provided him had been fine, but the shirt was uncomfortable. He was much more comfortable in one of the shirts he used to regularly wear when he’d sparred with Bobbi. Other than those visits, he’d received a video call from Elena the day before.

He’d been mostly left to his own devices, however, and there wasn’t much to occupy his time except for the tablet they’d given him, and some old paperbacks Lincoln had liberated along with his shirt.

That was one of the reasons why it was so good to see Joey standing in the doorway to his med-bay room, looking him over while he lay in the hospital bed. It was obvious from the look on his face that Joey wasn’t happy about seeing him in that bed, but he was happy to see him.

Mack was happy to see him, too, but there was a little voice in the back of his head that was screaming how dangerous it was for Joey to be here. He and Elena had been packed off to the Cocoon for their own well-being. When Mack had spoken to Elena the day before, Joey had been nowhere in sight, and now he knew why. Because the metal-bender had been making his way, back here, for some reason.

“What are you doing here?”

Joey snorted, and grinned, while Mack cringed at his own choice of words. “It’s good to see you too, Mack.” He said, stepping into the room and turning around to shut the door behind him. He was dressed in a faded dark green t-shirt advertising a pizza place, and black track pants that had white stripes down the sides. Clothes that were comfortable for travelling. If he was here, right now, that meant that Coulson knew he was here. No one could move within SHIELD without Coulson knowing about it, not any more.

“You look better than I expected. From what Lincoln told me, you were pretty badly hurt…”

Mack waved a hand, while Joey moved around to his bedside and pulled the chair that was sitting there right to the edge of his bed. He folded his arms on the edge, looking Mack over, carefully inspecting him. It made the mechanic feel like he was being put on the spot, but it could have been worse. “I know it looks back, but I’ve had worse.”

The way Joey’s eyebrows knit together made Mack sure that he didn’t believe him. Joey wouldn’t be wrong, either. Mack had rarely felt pain like he’d felt when his partner - and she was still his partner, no matter what his brainwashing said - was beating him in the street. It wasn’t just the beating he’d taken, either, but Daisy, herself, how she’d acted, that had hurt him.

He wouldn’t give up on her, though. That wasn’t going to happen.

“I heard it was Daisy… That Hive got to her. I’m guessing that’s true, since I haven’t seen her here. I’d think, you know… You being laid up and all? This would be where I’d find her.” He took a breath, looking around the room. “I want to help get her back–”

“–No.”

Mack surprised himself with how immediate and firm he sounded. It was obvious he’d surprised Joey, too, back he’d straightened up in the chair and was looking at Mack like he was trying to find the reason for the refusal in his face, and not be hurt by it.

The truth was, Joey and Elena had been sent away to keep them safe from Hive, but Mack was of the opinion that the fact that both of them were far away was good because it kept them off Coulson’s radar.  Mack trusted Coulson, and he was loyal to him, but at times like this, the man needed someone to be his conscience. May was good at telling him when he was wrong, but she had a long-lasting loyalty to Coulson that stopped her from being the dissenting voice when it most mattered. Having Joey and Elena far away while Mack was laid up in the med-bay meant that, in Coulson’s quest to get Daisy back, he would be less able to fit the two of _them_ with the same murder-vest he’d given to Lincoln.

That wasn’t to say that Joey wouldn’t refuse to do something he didn’t want to do, but Daisy being in danger inspired a certain kind of reaction from people.

“I know I said I didn’t want to do this anymore, and I don’t think I can feel confident in a place where the people who are the only ones I can tell about this part of myself don’t trust me because of that same part. But, it’s Daisy, and if I can help in any way, I want to.”

Mack sighed, reaching up to rub his hand over his chin. He had a few days growth there, now, and he’d welcome a shave, when he could have it. He probably looked rather haggard to Joey. “It’s not that I think… You left, so you can’t help, because, Joey, man, I know you could. But this Hive thing… He’s scary. He’s got the power to take over Daisy, and that was something none of us wanted to believe could happen. Last thing I’d want is for you to get hit with it, too.” 

Looking over, he met Joey’s eyes, and saw the understanding there. He knew what Mack was getting at, and judging by the expression on his face, he was touched.

“You even being _here_  puts you at risk. If she breaks in, or quakes us from above ground, or…” Mack stopped himself before he threw Coulson under the bus. “I just want you to be safe.”

Joey was quiet for a minute, clearly thinking over what Mack had said. He was leaned forward against the bed again, and was acting he bedspread was exceedingly interesting. While Mack waited for him to speak, Joey reached out, taking his hand from where it laid on the bed, and flipping it over, gently, so the back of his hand rested in Joey’s palm. The fingers of his other hand traced lazy lines across Mack’s palm and fingers, a sensation that was surprisingly soothing. Mack found himself relaxing against the pillows that had him propped up, feeling more at ease than he had ten minutes before.

“I’m touched that you want me to be safe. I guess that kiss meant something, huh?” Joey was smiling, but it seemed almost nervous, and he didn’t hold Mack’s gaze for long before he was looking back at his palm.

The kiss in question had been the one Joey had stolen before he’d been shipped off. Mack had escorted both him and Elena to the quinjet to be taken to safety, and just before he’d boarded, Joey had turned and crowded into Mack’s space, kissing him quick, almost too quick for Mack to react. He’d reacted enough that Joey had needed to slip out of his hands before walking up the quinjet’s ramp, his head down, eyes on the floor.

It hadn’t meant nothing, that was for sure.

“Meant I want you to stay safe, much as you want me to be careful.” Mack answered, referencing the words Joey had muttered as he’d slipped out of Mack’s hands. “And right now, this isn’t that place, Joey. I’m sorry, but… You should get back to the Cocoon as soon as possible.”

Joey nodded, looking at Mack’s hand again. “All right. In the morning, then, I’ll leave again. But you’re in here, alone, and I’ve been going stir crazy, where I am. So, can I stay for tonight? I’ll hang out with you, we can watch something on Netflix. Just pretend that things are all right for a while.” He grinned, wide, and Mack couldn’t ignore the spark he felt. “You might as well, they aren’t going to let you out of that bed any time soon.”

Laughing, Mack nodded. “All right. For tonight, I’ll let you keep me company.” He moved, shuffling on the bed. It was wider than most hospital beds, given that it was SHIELD issue. Even with him in it, there was still plenty of room, and he made more for Joey, patting the mattress next to him. “All I’ve got is the tablet, man, so you’re gonna have to cozy up to me if you want to watch something.”

If Joey was bothered by that - and Mack doubted he was - he didn’t show it. He simply followed Mack’s orders, getting up and crawling onto the bed. Mack waited patiently, watching while Joey leaned over him, searching his face, waiting to be told to stop. When Mack said nothing, Joey closed his eyes, and leaned in, kissing him, gentle, and slow, mindful of his healing lip and bruised face.

He was pulling away, opening his eyes and starting to speak, when Mack reached up and cupped the back of his head, pulling him back down for another kiss like the first, kissing him back the way he’d wanted to when his hands had found Joey’s sides back in the ruined hangar.

When they pulled apart this time, he let Joey settle in beside him, before speaking.

“Even if you don’t want to do the whole Secret Warrior thing after this… I hope you keep coming around, Joey.”

Joey nodded, and looked over, meeting his eyes. “For you? I’ll be happy to.”


End file.
